Advanced Technologies & Patents

We are recognized as an innovator and leading supplier of communications equipment with a focus on satellite bandwidth efficiency and link optimization. Below is a sampling of advanced technologies we developed through new product design and improvements to existing products.

Technology

Description

Adaptive Coding and Modulation (ACM)

ACM is a statistical, non-static advantage that enables dynamic changes in user throughput as the satellite link characteristics vary through effects such as rain fade or satellite mis pointing. Benefits and value vary over time and are not guaranteed but are predictable. ACM technology converts link margin to an increase in the average data throughput of satellite links.

AES Encryption will ingest non-encrypted traffic from the LAN and encrypt all outgoing traffic to the satellite (WAN) on the TX traffic path. On the RX traffic path, the reverse is performed, WAN traffic is decrypted and sent to the LAN. AES data encryption and decryption are used for transmission security to prevent unauthorized access to user traffic.

Automatic Carrier-in-Carrier Power Control (ACPC)

ACPC is a power control mechanism for DoubleTalk® Carrier-in-Carrier® (CnC) links. It provides a unique opportunity for modems on both sides of a CnC link to automatically measure and compensate for rain loss while maintaining a fixed Power Equivalent Bandwidth (PEB) on the satellite during all conditions. ACPC also enables CnC modems to share link margin between modems. The net effect is a significant increase in effective link margin and availability for CnC links while ensuring no increase in the PEB at the satellite.

AutoEQ compensates for the overall system group delay and amplitude flatness by pre-correcting the transmitted carrier. This eliminates the need for expensive and complex external group delay/amplitude equalizers and allows users and satellite operators to utilize more capacity on existing transponders that historically were unusable and the transponder edges.

AUPC enables a local modem to adjust its own output power level in order to attempt to maintain a consistent Es/No and RSL at the remote modem. This is used to mitigate the negative effects of rain fade.

Carrier ID Using MetaCarrier® Technology

The Carrier ID / MetaCarrier technology embeds and detects a short message and unique ID within a satellite transmission. This embedded message greatly reduces the time to identify unintended interference and locate the interference sources.

Dynamic load balancing enables high rate communications links to use smaller independent communications links with lower individual capacities to essentially act as a single higher rate “bondend” link. This is useful on wireless and terrestrial links. Comtech EF Data’s load balancer is dynamic and will detect and react to changing capacities on a per link basis as is commonly found in wireless links.

Dynamic Predistortion (DPD)

DPD creates high signal integrity while operating the satellite transponder in the higher efficiency nonlinear region, which provides a significant increase in link margin. It is a carrier manipulation technology that inversely impacts a signal to remove unwanted linear and non-linear distortions. DPD allows satellite amplifiers to push further into saturation, maximizing transponder efficiency.

DSSS is available as an option with LDPC-based FEC and BPSK modulation. Spread spectrum allows wireless communications operation with ultra-low power spectral densities. This enables the use of small antenna VSATs where minimizing adjacent satellite interference (ASI) is an important consideration. It can also be used to provide low probability of detection / intercept (LPD/LPI) operation and/or strong resistance to jamming. Multiple Access (MA), adds to the DSSS waveform by enabling multiple DSSS carrier to co-locate within the same physical BW.

EDMAC is an embedded multiplexor that allows a user data stream to be multiplexed with a low rate overhead channel. This permits the users to access the M&C features of distant-end modems in a satellite link. This is accomplished by adding extra information to the user data in a manner that is completely transparent to the users.

Forward Error Correction (FEC)

FEC is a powerful technique for improving the performance of error-prone channels found in communication systems. The performance of FECs can be evaluated based on their distance from Shannon limit. We offer traditional and advanced methods of forward error correction to improve performance of error-prone channels.

Our modems are extremely flexible and powerful, and incorporate optional features that can be purchased at the initial order or while in the field. The FAST technology facilitates on-location or over the air upgrade of the operating feature set without the need to physically install or remove hardware. FAST permits the purchase and installation of options through special authorization codes loaded into the unit either via the front panel keypad or entered remotely via the remote port located on the modem rear panel.

G.703 Clock Extension

Mobile networks require precise synchronization of base stations, which is a challenge when running a packet-based network. Most operators are forced to use GPS-based external equipment for site synchronization. Our G.703 clock extension option propagates a high stability reference from hub to the remote. This process does not require additional bandwidth.

Header Compression

Header compression can reduce the 40-byte IP/UDP/RTP header to as little as 1 byte; for TCP/IP, the 40-byte header is reduced to as little as 3 bytes. For applications such as Voice-over-IP (VoIP), header compression can provide bandwidth savings exceeding 60%.

H-DNA is an evolutionary and dynamic network access technology designed for the Heights Networking Platform’s return links. It is fast, flexible and uncompromising, delivering unprecedented benefits to users and service providers alike.

PTP has emerged as the key network synchronization technology to distribute timing over a packet network. PTP is hierarchical master-slave architecture for clock distribution where one or more grandmaster clocks provide timing for slave network nodes.

Integrated Packet Processor

Many of our products offer the ability to add L2/L3 processing through the installation of a packet processor card. The additional computational power of the processing card can enable options such as header compression, payload compression, ultra low overhead streamline encapsulation and quality of service. When using the advanced IP functionality, real-time traffic and other low priority traffic can seamlessly co-exist on the same link without affecting the voice quality or delivery of mission critical data. The functions provide high bandwidth efficiency, information security and simplified network design/configuration.

Our products use ASIC and FPGA modulator and demodulator designs and support the industry’s widest range of modulation schemes and data rates. Depending on the modem, demodulation is accomplished by either frequency conversion down to an intermediate frequency or directly down to base band with over-sampling employed. Filtering is accomplished either by switched analog filters or digitally with polyphase FIR filters in the conversion FPGA.

Payload Compression

Our payload compression tools include ASIC-based, FPGA-based and software-based compression options depending on the speed and type of data to be compressed. Payload compression can reduce the required transmission bandwidth by as much as 40–50%.

QoS is a protection mechanism that functions as a multi-step process: Filtering, classification, sorting and drain. Networks that experience congestion due to traffic flooding, path congestion or poor signal quality will drop packets inevitably. A strong QoS engine is needed to drop or keep packets intelligently based on the user criteria. Multi-Tier group QoS is a layering technology that is used in packet passed networks and is required when there are protection groups within protection groups, thus layering the overall network.

RAN Optimization can significantly reduce the satellite bandwidth required for cellular backhaul. It provides the user complete control over the desired level of optimization and link quality. The pre-emptive bandwidth management maintains superior voice and service quality even under WAN congestion. Depending on the traffic profile, typical bandwidth reduction of 30-35% can be achieved with little or no impact to the voice quality.

TurboStreaming

This patented technology mitigates TCP performance issues across long delay links through intelligent implementations of scalable WAN TCP windows, and traffic multiplexing of LAN TCP sessions into persistent WAN TCP sessions. This process greatly reduces “time to first byte”, which means that the traffic starts flowing much faster than it would otherwise, and also enables traffic to ramp up to levels which would not be otherwise possible over long latency VSAT links.

Carrier-in-Carrier® is a Registered Trademark of Comtech EF Data
DoubleTalk® is a Registered Trademark of Raytheon Applied Signal Technology
VersaFEC® is a Registered Trademark of Comtech EF Data
MetaCarrier® is a Registered Trademark of Comtech EF Data